Sunday, 29 April 2012

Right now I'm working on a GM's guide for USR, which details how to create your own worlds, creatures, items etc. I wanted to share with you how to make your own enemies, as I know this has come up around the web.

USR is a simple, so you don't have to put a lot into creating a foe if you don't want. Unlike with PCs, you don't have to stick with the d10,d8, and d6 array when assigning dice to attributes. You could have something with Action d8, Wits d8 and Ego d6 if you wanted. For instance, here's a Skeleton Warrior I just cooked up:

Skeleton WarriorAction: d8Wits: d6Ego: d6Hits: 5

Armour: Target Shield (-1)

Easy, right? For low level enemies, I wouldn't give them many specialisms - maybe one. Also, just because I haven't listed a weapon, doesn't mean there can't be an implied one to add flavour to the enemy. For instance, Skeleton Warriors may use rusted scimitars, but since they're low level I'd just imply that's what they had or maybe have the weapon count as +0.

You can easily make an enemy on the fly with USR. Say you're running a western and you need a couple of bandits to harass the PCs, you could say Bandit #1 has Action d6, Wits d8, Ego d10 and Hits 6. He also carries a revolver (+1). It's that easy. Then again, you could flesh him out a bit more:

Texan BanditAction: d6Wits: d8Ego: d10Hits: 6

Specialisms: Ego - Charms the Ladies (+3)Wits - Knows his way around town (+2)

You could even give your enemies extra effects just to keep the players on their toes, e.g. giving a cobra a poison attack where if the cobra wins a round of combat the player must test Wits or suffer 1 hit of poison per round. You could just write this in the weapon section if you wanted. Here's a foe with a couple of extra abilities on top of the standard ones:

Weapons: Gatling Gun (+3), Tear Gas (+1) - Target must pass medium Action test or be unable to see for 1 round; Cluster Grenade (+2) - roll 1d6 to see how many grenades hit the target; Plasma Cannon (+5) - May be used twice before it overheats. Cools down in 1d10 rounds. Armour: Titanium Alloy (-3)

You can be as basic or as complex as you like. USR's combat is built to be modular, so you can throw in whatever you want, whether it's special attacks, status effects or just changing weapon damage output.

You can also assign levels to enemies if you wanted. Your standard 1st level enemy would have 3 specialisms or fewer and no weapon (unless it's an implied weapon). 2nd level would have either an added specialism, an extra +1 to one of their 3 specialisms or a +1 weapon, and you can carry it on from there. You can also add a level for having a die one step above what it should be. For example, the X-154 Hunter Droid has d10, d10, d6, so you would add an extra level since it has one die step higher than usual. You certainly don't need to give your enemies levels as it's pretty easy to work out how players would fare against one of your creations.

In a week or so me and my group will be wrapping up a two-and-a-half year long 4th edition D&D campaign. It's been a blast, but now they're hitting level 25 it's definitely starting to become more of a chore - something that must be done rather than something I always want to go back to. This isn't because of the players - they're fantastic and I have a huge amount of fun with them. It's not even about the story arc, which has been going for pretty much the full tenure of the campaign. It's the bloat that inevitably hits 4e games in epic tier, and I really dislike it.

For me and for my players, I know that having reams of data on a 5-page character sheet isn't the best way to play. Turns take an age, status effects are dishes out like Halloween sweets and monsters seem to become lifeless heaps of powers. I admit that as DM I'm responsible for making sure combat is exciting, roleplaying opportunities are fun and the players are having a great time, every time. But there's only so much you can do when a rules set explodes into a mess and you have to wrestle with it in order to make it do what you want.

I think the 4e system is a good one, especially in heroic tier. I like powers, but in moderation. Hell, I don't even mind healing surges. I've said in the past that it's really hard to kill players in 4e and that's true, to an extent, but over the past 7 months or so there have been a bunch of near TPKs and deaths even with all the added advantages characters are given. Believe it or not, 4e can be made to feel like good old-fashioned AD&D, especially if you use the Fourthcore design mentality, which I've incorporate into my game with success.

This was my first ever campaign and I think it really came into its own when the players hit 16th level and I found my stride. I don't think it was perfect and I can think of so many things I would have changed, but it's been a huge boon to my GM skills. The good sessions far outweighed the bad ones and the fact that the players want to see the story to its climax is hopefully testament to having done a good job. Anyone who has helmed a game for multiple years will know how difficult it is to keep inventing new ways to hook players and keep them entertained and now we're reaching the end of the story I look back with pride that I was at least able to keep an arc going.

Next it will be someone else's turn to sit in the GM's seat, which is a quiet relief. I love being a GM and prefer it over being a player, but it'll be good to stretch my legs as a single character at last. We've all agreed to keep campaigns short this time around so that we can get through many games and keep things fresh. On the horizon we have Space 1889, Tunnels & Trolls, Gamma World and more, which I'm really looking forward to.

So now to end the campaign with a bang and make these two years feel like they were worth something.

Saturday, 28 April 2012

Yesterday I received a great email from John (aka Danjou's Hand) telling me that he'd reviewed USR on DrivethruRPG and RPGNow and that he'd done a new dungeon crawl write up. I was chuffed to bits - thanks John!

Taking place squarely between the pages of AvX #1 and #2, AvX: VS and uses high brow talent to pull off what turns out to be a very simple premise: big fights.

You're either going to bask in the violent splendour of titanic characters playing super-fisticuffs or you'll despair that you just bought a comic that adds nothing to the main story. As it turns out, these fights are hugely entertaining, delivering all the bombast and smack talk fans have come to expect from their favourite heroes. But most importantly, we're given solid winners of these heroic bouts, no doubt settling many arguments we've all had as comic fans.

Here we see Iron Man go head to head with Magneto and Thing take on Namor, two battles that were teased in AvX #1. You could argue that the six-issue AvX: VS series is just stretching out what could be a single comic, and you'd probably be right, but that doesn't stop it from being entertaining as hell. 'AvX Fun Facts' are liberally sprinkled throughout the issue, offering damage expense totals and light hearted humour that really sets the tone for the series. It's ridiculous in a fun way and it works. The entire event has so far been exactly what superhero comics should be: balls-to-the-walls fun, and AvX: VS distills all that into one great comic.

Jason Aaron and Karthyn Immonen are on writing detail and while they don't have to deal with much plot, their dialogue is great and the narration well-paced. Adam Kubert, Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger all do great work with the art, executing action scenes effortlessly and not allowing scenes to become to muddy with detail.

Look, you don't need to get this comic to enjoy the event thus far, but if you love mindless action featuring your favourite characters then this is the book to get.

Wednesday, 25 April 2012

I haven't had a Peakvale Wednesday in a while and I wanted to get back on track. So I present to you The Guild of Amateur Mages!

Hidden away in the corner of Cobb Street in Thornguard is a rather unsuspecting town house with a crimson door and a shiny brass knocker. The only unusual thing from the outside are the chalk etchings on the wall reading 'GAM'. But inside the little house there are meetings of a very strange nature - ones that are both wonderful and terrifying at the same time. You see, GAM stands for Guild of Amateur Mages, and when I say 'amateur' I mean 'they haven't the slightest clue what they are doing'.

There are currently 10 members of GAM, all filled with the same enthusiasm and drive and love for all things magic. It's just too bad that they suck at it. Passers-by have reported the sound of explosions followed by the frantic scrabbling of chicken feet, hideous karaoke in the night and doorknockers in the area gaining the ability to sneeze. There was even a time when every grandchild in Thornguard simultaneously grew horny protrusions from their foreheads and started doing backflips when they heard the national anthem.

The leader, for want of a better word, is Shallot Hemsgrey, a hobb whose party trick is to transform his staff into a long piece of polished wood. Shallot organises all the meetings, expeditions and oversees magical experiments in the guild. In fact, Shallot is the only reason why GAM hasn't been shut down yet. His brother is head of the city guard, so he tends to look the other way when Shallot is 'experimenting'. Other members include Skeevy, a ratling botanist who claims to have invented a new colour but won't show anyone; Marriana Ebblethwoot, a human singer who once created an identical version of herself who she now reluctantly lives with; and Graffer, a dwarf miner who, after a magical accident, can only talk through his cat, Moggie.

Shallot leads frequent expeditions into the wilderness to search for "anything really magic". They have delved into small tunnels in the past, such as Grue's Keep in order to retrieve the Eye of Kahana, a gem with great power. They accidentally ended up releasing a shadow tyrant into Peakvale, which subsequently killed 10 people before the Wizard's Guild managed to unsummon it. Most of the time, thought, their expeditions end in a picnic and a good old sing-song.

The one good thing about the members of GAM is that there's never a dull moment when you're with them. Also there's a 23% chance you will end up as another species by the end of the day.

Thursday, 19 April 2012

A big part of D&D 4e and indeed many other games are the miniatures that adorn the table, strewn across grids and mats in all their glory. Few can argue that a handful of painted mini heroes battling a beholder or dragon isn't a cool sight to behold. But with minis being so expensive nowadays, getting enough to sate your campaign is getting more difficult.

Reptus Warlord from Reaper Miniatures

There's no doubt that a painted mini from Reaper or Games Workshop looks the part, especially if you're using 3D terrain. While I do like sitting down and painting, I find that nowadays I have less and less time to do so, meaning that I buy a selection of heroes and never get around to finishing them. In my home game I use pre-painted D&D miniatures and sometimes Mage Knight figs if they fit the bill.

Pathfinder Mini from WizKids

Back in the day, machine-led painting created sloppy pre-painted minis that looked atrocious, but with new technology comes better minis, such as the Pathfinder Heroes pack. But there's still something a little soulless about getting figures already painted and to a sub-par standard no less.

Counters from Fiery Dragon

The other option is to use card tokens or paper minis, which can contain really great art but might need some weighing down so a wayward gust doesn't scatter them across the realm. I think the token found in the Pathfinder Beginner's Box and Fiery Dragon's tokens in T&T 7.5 are good if you don't want to throw down cold hard cash on plastic or metal.

In the end it really comes down to time and money. Can you afford to buy a bunch of minis and will you have time to paint them?

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

The pulp renaissance continues with Dynamite's release of The Shadow #1 this month, adding to their roster of famous heroes like The Green Hornet and Darkman. Being one of the more vicious crime-fighters that spawned from the 1930s, The Shadow is aptly captained by none other than veteran blood splasher Garth Ennis. While we're given a framework for great things to come, The Shadow #1 isn't exactly number one with a bullet.

The story opens with scenes of Japanese war atrocities, written in vivid and wretched detail, instantly communicating that this isn't going to be a bright two-fisted tale like its contemporaries. Rather, Ennis' gritty style gives the reader both a sense of unease and the need to see these war criminals brought to justice in the most violent way possible. Enter The Shadow, toting twin pistols and clouding the minds of men in order to bring swift death in a red haze upon the gang responsible for these evil doings. It opens with a great scene, but sadly it's the only time in the whole issue that we see the enigmatic figure in action.

The rest of the issue is devoted to Lamont Cranston, The Shadow's alter-ego. We see him mixing with a couple of associates, delivering a vast amount of exposition and little else. While the middle falls flat, the introduction of Margo Lane towards the end offers up a viewfinder into Cranston's personality, with his holier-than-thou attitude and air of superiority that so infuriates Lane.

Aaron Campbell serves Ennis' pen well with his art, deftly handling expression and action scenes without overdoing it. The Alex Ross cover masterfully re-creates the iconic image of The Shadow that is simply stunning to look at.

This feels like the entrée before the main course. We're given a fleck of well-narrated violent action along with a truckload of exposition bloat and a side order of characterisation. As a premier issue it does its job, but we have to hope that Ennis can deliver on what he has built.

Thursday, 12 April 2012

Asakura Yoshikage

Level 3 Samurai

Action: d10

Wits: d6

Ego: d8

Hits: 22

Specialisms:

[Action] Katana Mastery (+4), Horseback Riding (+2)

[Ego] Honourable (+2)

Asakura's family was slaughtered 10 years ago by the Black Wolf Clan and since that day he has sworn vengeance on their leader, Takeda Yamamoto. Asakura donned his father's armour and set off on a journey through Japan in order to find his target.

Hands actually wanted to run a game of D&D, but he couldn't find the character sheet he needed, so he cracked out a copy of USR and got down to some high-fantasy hijinks. It's great to see that he had a good time and gave a really great review (even though his character met his end in just 20 minutes). More of this sort of thing!

I'm writing up a GM's guide to USR with guidelines on how to run a game and create your own monsters, but as this blogger shows, it's really easy just to create a creature on the spot or snag an existing one, like the D&D ghoul, to convert.

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

The reason I wrote USR is because I found myself wanting to write ALL the RPGs, and releasing an 'engine', as it were, to the internet masses would help me see what's good and bad about the system before dedicating myself to a game. Having a rules-lite core for whatever game I want to write gives flexibility while cutting down much of the time it would take coming up with a new set of rules for every game.

I currently have 3 games in the pipeline that will run on USR's fuel: Derring-Do!, DemonLord and Dwellers (I seem to have a thing for Ds). I want to see at least one of those come to fruition this year - at the moment I've done most work on Derring-Do!, a pulp hero game set in modern times but in a weird 1940s city. DemonLord will be released not as a full rulebook, but as a series of gamebooks which add rules as they go. As for Dwellers, a time-travelling game, I have the concept and story written out as well as a list of specialisms, but that's pretty much it.

But what's in store for USR beyond these games, assuming that they will all come to pass?

Well, I would want to support the current USR line, releasing supplements and adventures (GM and solo). Beyond that, I'd love to write a fantasy/sci-fi game, where alien technology has become available in a fantasy realm, so you have dwarf-piloted warp freighters and exciting swashbuckling action all in one setting. Or maybe a hardboiled anthropomorphic detective game in the vein of Blacksad. Or what about a dungeon-crawler where the players take on the role of weapons instead of adventurers, magically controlling them to do their bidding, each adventure seeing the players being traded into another adventurer's hands. Ok, that might be a bit silly, but it's a novel idea.

USR has been out for a few months now and has had around 200 downloads so far, which is encouraging to see. If you have played the system, then a review on DrivethruRPG would be much appreciated. Here's a few that I've found on my internet travels.

"Versatility is the name of the game for USR; it’s the kind of system that begs you to try new settings and scenarios...I highly recommend picking up the PDF of USR." -Ted from Dos Tacos Libres (full review)

"I'm not overly fond of statistics and too many tables of stuff, nor do I have the space for miniatures and maps, so I went with the USR (Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying) System for this, and it worked out really well. It's got the right mix of dice-gaming and imagination to be amusing and not too heavily skewed in either of these directions" - Promethius on Open Pandora Forum (full review)

"Are you looking for an unbelievable simple roleplaying game? Then you should check out USR by Scott Malthouse. It uses very simple but astonishingly effective mechanics. Damn, I wish I came up with this!" - Michael Wolf from Stargazer's World (on Google+)

"[A] fun system from an awesome guy." - Brent Wheeler (on Google+)

It's great to see people having fun with USR. If you're a blogger who has run a game, let me know how it went and I'll give some link love in return.

Sunday, 8 April 2012

After the #0 prologue, the Marvel event of the year kicked off properly last Wednesday with Avengers Vs X-Men #1, an issue that wastes no time in getting right to the point.

With Bendis helming this issue, we're treated to his usual witty dialogue that made his Avengers book so great, yet not sacrificing the characters in the process. While the core of the event will take place over twelve bi-monthly issues, Bendis isn't dragging this one out, bringing the Phoenix force to Earth and pitting Avenger against mutant.

The action is split evenly between the Avengers camp, where the gang is tracking the arrival of the Phoenix, and the X-Men, where Scott Summers is preparing Hope for when the galactic entity inevitably comes for her. Immediately we're given the rift in attitudes towards the impending arrival, with Summers batting for the Phoenix team, believing it will trigger a rebirth in the mutant population, and the Avengers wanting to detain it. The issue culminates in the gauntlet being thrown down by the respective leaders of each group: Captain America and Cyclops, meaning next issue promises our first taste of Avengers on X-Men action.

Romita's art is good, but not without its minor inconsistencies, as some perspectives are off and for some reason Hope's head seems to fluctuate in size, but maybe that's just me. The pencils also seem less detailed than they usually are in Romita's books, but fortunately Laura Martin's colours shine through with a bold and vivid palette.

Avengers Vs X-Men #1 is well-paced and narrated, contrasting the Avengers' grand story with the X-Men's relatively small one. Working with so many characters is difficult, but the issue makes it work and gives a clear reason why Marvel needs the biggest hitters on the circuit to handle an event of this magnitude. The exchange between Cap and Cyclops towards the end is much reminiscent of Civil War, making it feel like a real event, unlike Fear Itself.

Saturday, 7 April 2012

It seems that 2012 is the year of Judge Dredd, what with the new film adaptation hitting theatres in September, a brand new range of books containing classic Dredd tales is released and Tin Man Games is bringing out a gamebook at the end of April. But who is this enigmatic character and why should you care?

I've met many people who have heard of Judge Dredd but have never actually read any of his comics. Usually they will say: "Ah yes, that terrible film with Rob Schneider and Rocky," which is a response that kills me a little inside. If you're going to be exposed to any Dredd fiction, the film is not a good way to go.

So just who is this Judge Dredd character then?

The easiest way to describe Dredd is to say that he's judge, jury and executioner. He's a futuristic lawman, patrolling the streets of Mega-City One, a sprawling city that takes up the entire East Coast of North America and then some. Currently it's the year 2134 and Mega-City One is governed by the Justice Department, a dictatorship that rules by enforcing its own brand of hardcore justice, the Judges being at the frontline of dishing out said justice. Judges, like Dredd, have the power to sentence criminals on the spot without trial, often sending them to the 'cubes' for a number of years in detention, often much more than the crime warrants.

Dredd is the best of the best. A clone of Chief Judge Fargo, the founder of the Judge System, he is the one that the criminals fear. He wields a lawgiver pistol and rides a lawmaster, a huge motorbike fitted with machine guns, la laser cannon and AI. He's noted for never removing his helmet, as he is seen as an embodiment of justice.

Where can I read Judge Dredd stuff?

Nowadays, there are plenty of ways you can follow the epic stories of Dredd. 2000AD, the galaxy's greatest comic, was the first place Dredd appeared and his escapades still continue to this day. Brits can pick it up weekly from their local newsagents, but others will have to download digital copies from sites like DriveThruComics and ClickWheel. Similarly, the monthly Megazine can be downloaded from ClickWheel, which is much more focused on the Dredd universe. Rebellion has released a number of great trade paperbacks you can find online or from high street bookstores. I highly recommend reading the Judge Dredd Case Files series, which collects full story arcs in huge and relatively cheap tomes. Well worth the price.

But will I like Dredd comics?

If you like anti-heroes, epic storylines, a deep background that's easy to jump into and great writing, then you will love Judge Dredd. Also: mutants.

OK, I'm sold. Can you recommend a starting point for me?

The Complete Case Files 01 is probably the best introduction for new readers, as it collects stories right from the beginning of Dredd's run. Also, if you get it digitally, it's on £5.99, which is an absolute bargain for a 320 page graphic novel. The great thing is that you can usually jump into any Dredd story arc in 2000AD or the Megazine, as they're written in an accessible way.

So how about this gamebook, eh?

The Judge Dredd gamebook by Tin Man Games will hit the App Store at the end of the month and, you can probably guess, I'm hugely excited about it. I imagine that the game will give a good introduction to Dredd and his world, so you probably won't have to read any of the comics beforehand, but I reckon if you do you will get more out of the game.

Currently I'm working on the mega-solo I have planned for release this year. While I'm writing it I'm having a lot of thoughts about how we commonly approach solitaire adventures for T&T with a view to give the player a different yet familiar experience.

Typically a T&T solo has one protagonist (the player), an aim and usually some NPCs. Much of the time they take place inside a dungeon, like in Deathtrap Equaliser or Depths of the Devilmancer where you're essentially going from room to room killing things and taking their loot. The munchkin playstyle works well for T&T due to its tongue-in-cheek feel and simple combat mechanics. However, more often than not the adventures contain no notable NPCs that journey and form a bond with the player. While solitaire adventures are made just for those times when you can't get a group together, there's no reason why the book can't make it feel like there are other players in the game. This is what I'm trying to accomplish in my upcoming solo.

Basically, there are two major story arcs to the solo depending on your actions at the beginning of the game. Each route will 'assign' a notable NPC or two to travel with the player, developing their stories and personalities as the story unfolds. Sometimes it's nice to speak to an NPC, rather than just killing everything in your path.

What do you think? Do you prefer the 'lone wolf' aspect of solos or would you like some characters to bond with?

Friday, 6 April 2012

Shambling onto iPad and iPhone this month is the macabre tale of Frankenstein, but with a twist: the reader controls the narrative.

Gamebook authors Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson have taken the original text of Mary Shelley's classic novel and added an interactive element that allows the reader to delve deeper into the plot and characters.

Published by Profile Books, Frankenstein is the first interactive rendition of a well-known book on the iOS format and it promises to entertain both book-lovers and gamers alike.

Profile’s digital publishing director Michael Bhaskar says: ‘Over the centuries Frankenstein has inspired films, plays and dozens of imaginative ventures – from graphic novels to musicals. How appropriate that it should inspire this new artform – a digital literary experience. Dave and Jamie set the bar when it comes to interactive storytelling and inkle are setting the technology agenda. This is the start of a whole new way of telling classic stories.’

To gamebook fans, Morris and Thomson are familiar names, having penned the world famous Fabled Lands books which have also been made into mobile apps.

But while Fabled Lands was all about roleplaying a dice rolling, Frankenstein offers a more artistic approach to the genre:

"Maybe you remember gamebooks or choose-your-own novels?" Say Morris and Thomson, "If so, put those right out of your mind. Frankenstein is way more than that. It’s an art installation made up of story fragments, where the reader can explore the text, creating a unique and personal experience of this rightly world-famous work and developing a direct relationship with the main characters. That’s why we’re describing it as interactive literature – it’s a truly new kind of novel for the digital age."

Inkle, the company who designed the app are confident that Frankenstein will deliver something totally revolutionary: "I genuinely believe people will look back at Frankenstein and say, that’s the moment when everything changed."

Stuart has been producing some top notch solos over the past few months likeTemple of the Fool God and Khazan City Chaos. Trailblazers! sees delvers of levels 1 to 2 head into the forbidding wilderness to seek adventure and engage in monster-slaying good times.

Also, don't miss out on his awesome April A-Z, where he has conducted interviews with personalities in the gamebook industry.

Sunday, 1 April 2012

I don't usually talk about video games on this blog, but this is an exception to the rule. Tunnels & Trolls is being turned into an MMORPG, complete with everything that you love about the game including kindred and locations in Trollworld.

The game's working titles is Tunnels & Trolls: Rise of the Serpent God, and the story is said to revolve around the god-wizard Zweetz, who has created his own race of Cyruks to take over Trollworld. Players will have the chance to serve the Death Goddess herself as they embark on a massive adventure to destroy Zweetz once and for all.

The developer, Andris, has said that the new MMO will keep the same feel of the T&T tabletop game, right down to the unbalanced characters: "Don't think you can solo the game with a Fairy," said a spokesperson, "We will be keeping the same stats as in the [tabletop] game along with the same character types. Warriors will still get double hits on their armour and rogues can only learn new spells from wizards."

It's clear that Lichgames want to make TTROTSG as true to the source material as possible and I for one am hugely excited to play.

There's no word on release date yet, but I'll keep giving you all the news as it comes.